Bangalore : A jewellery shop owner, his wife, and their seven-year-olddaughter ended their lives by consuming cyanide inside their car after parking it near Chikkasanne Gate near Devanahalli on Friday morning. The exact reason for the incident is yet to be known, but the police suspect that financial problems might have led the family to take the extreme step.

The deceased have been identified as Sandeep, (38), his wife Archana (36), and daughter Aditi (7). Sandeep hailed from Chintamani in Kolar and was settled in the city for the past several years. He owned Jnanakshi jewellery near Gandhi Bazaar Circle.

Archana was a housewife, while Aditi was a second standard student at Bishop Cotton school on St. Mark’s Road. The family was residing at Srinagar 4th main near Hanumanth­anagar.

Police said some passers-by noticed their bodies inside a Honda Brio car (KA-05-ML-861) that was parked on the side of the road near Chikkasanne Gate and alerted the police around 10 am. When the police rushed to the scene, the three were lying dead in the rear seat of the car.

The three had committed suicide by consuming cyanide. They had left behind a suicide note addressing the police that they were depressed of living in this world and were taking the extreme step. The note also stated that it was not necessary for the police to investigate the case.

“Sandeep had written the phone numbers of his friend Venkatesh Babu and parents, requesting the police to inform the matter to Babu first and later his parents.

Sandeep had also sent a message to Babu’s phone at 3.30 pm saying that he was leaving the world and it would his last message. But Babu saw the message only around 6 pm. They have consumed cyanide after sending the message to Babu,” the police said.

“We have spoken to their family members to know the reason for the suicide. No strong reason has emerged so far. It is suspected that Sandeep had suffered huge loss in the business and that might have led the family to take the hasty decision,” the police added.

Sandeep’s father Gopalakrishnaiah, who runs cement business in Chintamani, said that he had no clue why his son’s family had taken the extreme step. “There were no debts and even the couple shared a good relationship. I have no idea why they ended their lives,” he lamented.

The post-mortem was conducted at Devanahalli government hospital and the bodies were handed over to the family members. Devanahalli police have registered a case in this connection and are investigating.

Neighbours shocked: Sandeep was staying with his family in a rented house at Srinagar 4th main for the past three years. The house owner had no clue about the incident till the media representatives went to the house.

House owner Girish said that Sandeep was earlier staying with his brother Satish in Basaveshwarnagar. “Sandeep’s family shifted to this area as his daughter was admitted to Bishop Cotton school and as his shop was closer by,” he said.

Girish said Sandeep used his two-wheeler regularly and car only when he was going out with family. “On Thursday night when I came home around 11 pm, he was taking his car out. I thought he was going somewhere early in the morning. He parked the car outside and went home.

We do not know when they left home,” he said. “They were a decent family and there was no misunderstanding or quarrel between the couple. The news has come as a shock to us,” Girish added.

His wife Anuradha said that Aditi was very close to their daughter Tanisha. “They always used to be play together. Aditi was a bright student and she was selected for a show in a popular kids channel. Their parents were preparing her for the show. When I saw cameramen at my doorstep, I thought that the TV crew had come in that connection. Instead, we got the bad news,” she lamented.

Even the school bus had come to pick up Aditi in the morning. When she did not come out, the driver honked. Ramu, the other tenant had reportedly told the driver that the family had gone out, thinking that they had gone to Rajarajeshwari temple  that Sandeep used to visit every Friday.